First launched in 2018, the R6 is one of HiBy’s best music players in the mid-range segment. However, as time passes, audio technology develops rapidly, leading to the birth of many new music players with better sound quality and more advanced features. This makes R6 gradually become obsolete. Not letting its beloved child fall behind, HiBy recently launched the latest version of the R6. Its full name is HiBy R6 III.
As the third generation of the R6 music player, HiBy R6 III is integrated with many new equipment that allows improving sound quality, performance as well as user experience.
Table of Contents
Packaging and accessories
Luxurious, elegant and beautiful are the words used to describe the packaging of HiBy R6 III. Although it is only a product in the mid-range segment, the cover box of the R6 III is meticulously and carefully cared for. The outer cover will be dark blue. Meanwhile, the embossed patterns on the front (including logo and product name) are covered with an eye-catching layer of copper gold. Detailed information about the manufacturer HiBy will be printed clearly on the back.
To unbox the product, users should gently pull the outer cover and then open the box inside. Placing the music player on a soft foam sheet will minimize unwanted impacts during transportation.
Accessories included with HiBy R6 III will include:
- 1 case made of transparent silicone plastic
- 3 screen protectors (2 are pre-attached to the player)
- 1 USB Type-C cable
- Instructions for use
- Warranty card and QC card
If you don’t like silicone covers, you can completely change to a luxurious leather case designed specifically for the R6 III by HiBy.
Design
The design language on the R6 2020 is still used on the HiBy R6 III. The music player weighs about 250gr and feels very compact and sturdy when used. There will be two color options: delicate silver and elegant black.
The entire case is still made of sturdy aluminum alloy. The corners and sides are cut squarely. Arranged on the top of the device is the volume knob. Meanwhile, on the bottom are the main connection ports arranged in a symmetrical structure including: Type-C port, 3.5mm LO port, 4.4mm Bal LO port, 3.5mm PO port and 4.4mm Bal PO port.
The memory card slot is located on the left side and the physical buttons are located on the right side including: Power button, song change button and music stop/play button. Right between the power button and the song change button will be an LED light that displays the sampling rate of the currently playing music.
The screen integrated into the face of the device is a 5-inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 1280 * 720 pixels. With a pixel density of 443 PPI, the R6 III’s screen provides vivid and sharp display. Right below the screen is the HIBY logo. The back is glass-shaped with notable highlights on the brand logo and the Hires Audio/Hires Audio Wireless standard certification stamp.
Outstanding features and technology
To realize the goal of producing a music player with both good sound quality, high multitasking capabilities and a good user experience, HiBy has equipped the R6 III with many modern technologies, which can mentioned as:
ES9038Q2M dual DAC chip supports high-quality Hires music decoding such as PCM 32bit/768kHz or DSD512 Native with low total harmonic distortion index (about 0.0003%) and S/N ratio up to 122dB
The audio circuit uses up to 2 crystal oscillators (45.158MHz and 49.152MHz) to help minimize time phase noise.
Class A circuit mode enhances audio performance
Class AB circuit mode helps balance audio performance and battery life
Supports MQA 16x for studio-quality sound quality
Easily acts as a USB DAC when connected to a smartphone or laptop
Snapdragon 665 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory
Android 12 operating system provides a friendly user interface and smooth experience
Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with support for UAT/LDAC/aptX/aptX HD codecs…
Dual-band WiFi connection supports music listening via online applications
The MSEB feature allows users to fine-tune the EQ without distortion
The plug-in feature helps modify data, dramatically changing audio performance
4500mAh battery for up to 15 hours of music playtime (SE + Class AB) and 12 hours (Bal + Class A)
With the Android 12 operating system as its foundation, HiBy R6 III provides a pretty good user experience. The device runs fast (start-up time only takes a few seconds), swipe and touch operations are quite sensitive, without any pauses or lag during use. Multitasking is also very good when you can listen to music while surfing Facebook or surfing the web to read newspapers without encountering conflict errors.
Sound quality
HiBy R6 III possesses sound quality that is fine-tuned in a neutral direction with the sound bands creating balance with each other, with high sophistication and clarity. Compared to the R6 New version released in 2020, the sound on the R6 III has better detail. The bass range and low mid are no longer as warm as before, the authenticity of the timbre is emphasized more. Meanwhile, the technical characteristics are taken care of more carefully, both in terms of soundstage and sound imaging.
The bass range on the R6 III is well controlled, has rich texture and high clarity. Both the response rate and decay rate are quite fast and this will make the bass sound more dynamic. It would be very interesting to use the R6 III to enjoy vibrant EDM music. The amount is not too abundant and just enough.
Switch to the mid range. The R6 III has a very clear, detailed and natural sounding mid sound. The mid range is not too warm and thick like the R6 New but is adjusted in a neutral direction to bring a realistic, accurate feeling to the instruments and vocals. The singer’s voice is layered very clearly and in detail, not moving too much forward but not falling too far back either.
The resolution in the mid range is extremely impressive and there are few music players in the same segment that can surpass the HiBy R6 III in this regard. Besides the natural timbre, the instrumental part is also well layered, sounds airy and does a good job as a background for the vocal part.
The treble range is not too large but still bright enough to describe high notes in detail. The treble will be a bit sibilant if you pair the R6 III with IEMs with bright sound quality. This is completely understandable because the sound quality that the R6 III aims for is authenticity and neutrality. The extension in the treble range is handled quite smoothly, and the access is also very detailed.
One of the strengths of the HiBy R6 III is its technical performance. The music player perfectly handles highly complex symphonic music well. It’s easy to layer instrument parts in detail and position them precisely. There’s a lot of space between the instruments, but the soundstage isn’t too wide. However, the depth of the soundstage is what makes listeners feel impressed.
The sound has high definition and good separation, especially in the mid and treble ranges. Overall, good stage production combined with realistic and smooth timbre has helped the R6 III’s sound become more attractive, lively and musical.
What’s hot about Class A and Class AB modes?
As mentioned above, HiBy R6 III has two operating modes: Class A and Class AB. With Class AB mode, battery life will be slightly better. Meanwhile, sound performance will be maximized when used. In fact, it will be difficult to notice the sonic difference between the two modes if you pair the R6 III with an easy-to-pull IEM.
You can only tell the difference when pairing the music player with a headphone or hard-to-pull IEM like the 7Hz Timeless or AKG N5005. Specifically, in Class A mode, the sound becomes more dynamic, the bass range has better rumble and the response speed will be sped up a bit. Battery life will be about 11 – 12 hours depending on volume level and output mode.
Compare
Vs HiBY R5 II
At its launch, the R5 II was a really good music player. Although they are in the mid-range segment, there is still a certain gap between HiBy R6 III and R5 II. The Android 12 operating system on the R6 III provides a much better user experience than the Android 8.1 operating system on the R5 II.
Both are equipped with Class A mode, but the sound on the R6 III has better balance, more volume in the bass range and richer texture of the bass. The resolution is very detailed, however, the sound image on the R6 III has better sharpness.
Vs HiBy RS2
Completely different from the HiBy R6 III, the RS2 is a pure music player because it does not have an online music player feature nor is it equipped with the Android operating system. The RS2 simply plays music stored from internal memory or a memory card via HiBy Music.
In terms of sound quality, the RS2 has a warmer, fuller sound and is suitable for IEM models with neutral sound. The R6 III is the exact opposite. It has a more neutral sound and goes well with IEMs that have a sweet, warm sound.
Vs Shanling M6 Ultra
Surely many audiophiles will wonder whether the HiBy R6 III can compete with more advanced competitors like the M6 Ultra. Both have user-friendly interfaces and provide a good user experience. Both use the same processor chip and have the same amount of RAM, but the M6 Ultra is equipped with a larger capacity battery. This means the M6 Ultra’s battery life will be better.
The sound provided by the M6 Ultra has better timbre. The bass range has a richer texture, the mid range is more musical and the treble range has good detail. The layering ability is better on the M6 Ultra, and the soundstage is also more open. As for the R6 III, its sound sounds more neutral and linear.
With a beautiful design, elegant look, easy to use with one hand, sharp screen, friendly user interface, easy-to-listen neutral sound quality, two modes Class A and Class AB, … can be considered HiBy R6 III is one of the best Android DAPs today.